


Here With Me

by doodlestrudel



Category: Arctic Monkeys, Indie Music RPF, Last Shadow Puppets
Genre: Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Boss/Employee Relationship, Christmas Fluff, I couldn't help it you guys I love this movie, Inspired by Love Actually, Kinda, M/M, Politics, Pretend they have accents, milex - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 07:07:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12835914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doodlestrudel/pseuds/doodlestrudel
Summary: Miles is the new Prime Minister of Great Britain, and he finds himself falling for his secretary, Alex. (Based on one of the stories from Love Actually)





	Here With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> I've always wanted to make a fic out of Love Actually, and this one has always been one of my favorites. I also can't resist a Christmas fic. (And hopefully I'll come up with something for The Lights and Buzz) Until then, here's this.
> 
> Also, just to save my ass, I'm in no way claiming this concept was my own, nor is parts of the dialogue and the beginning narrative, that whole bit is from the movie, but I really like it so I wanted to include it. Anyways, enjoy!!
> 
> <333
> 
> (And yes Miles is older, like in his early 40's. Picture COTT era with a few more wrinkles and a couple of streaks of grey hair. Nice, right? Also Humbug Alex cause I can't resist.)

_'Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there- fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge- they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.' _  
  
–  
  
Five weeks until Christmas  
  
Miles knotted his fingers together in his lap as he waited to arrive at his new home on Downing Street, where he would spend his time living there as Prime Minister of Great Britain. He had high hopes for his time spent serving, though it was admittedly a very jaunting duty; particularly since he was the first ever openly gay Prime Minister, he felt he needed to be a good role model for the LGBT community. He ran his fingers through his hair as he began to feel more anxious; the crowd of press waiting for him beginning to come into view. He held his breath as his driver pulled over, his bodyguard, Matt quickly jumping out of the car so that he could escort Miles to his new residence.  
  
He stepped out in front of the cheering crowd, a small smile on his face as he stepped aside so that his door could be shut behind him. He heard various reporters shouting questions at him, though he couldn't make out anything they were saying. He waved to everyone in front of him, trying his best to give them all a good photo op. He had a way of charming the camera, and so waited a few seconds so that they could get their shots. With one last wave and smile, he was led away to his new front door by his security staff. He blew out his breath as the door flung open, the person standing there bowing and inviting him inside. It was going take him awhile to get used to all this.  
  
Once he was safely tucked away inside, he was greeted by a woman who looked more like a model than she did a government official. He greeted her with the same small smile he gave everyone outside, reaching out to shake her hand as she introduced herself.  
  
“Welcome, Mr. Prime Minister; I am Alexa Chung, and I'll be your press coordinator. Would you like me to introduce you to everyone?”  
  
Miles nodded his head, looking over her shoulder to see three other people standing in a line. “Absolutely, anything to get out of actually running the country.”  
  
He followed Alexa over to a a very tall and frail looking older man, with glasses and a wild mane of hair. It was an interesting look for someone in this line of business, though he enjoyed it very much. He held his hand out so that the two men could shake, and listened as Alexa let him in on who he was.  
  
“This is John Cooper Clarke, he keeps it all running smoothly around here when it comes to household business.”  
  
John smiled warmly at the Prime Minster, bowing his head as he said, “Pleasure to meet you, Sir.”  
Miles smiled slyly, his finger tapping his chin as he said, “You know, I had an uncle John that I hated, he was a bit of a pervert but; you're gonna be great, I can tell.”  
  
John raised his eyebrows out of surprise, though soon laughed and nodded again. “I hope so, Sir.”  
  
Alexa quickly moved them onward towards a short, elderly woman. She too greeted Miles with a smile and a quick handshake. “This is Bridget Ayres, she'll be your housekeeper.”  
  
“Happy to serve you, Mr. Prime Minister.” she said, and Miles already felt a sense of comfort with her. He returned her smile as he replied, “I promise I won't give you too much trouble; I've got no kids running around or a picky wife.” Bridget nodded her head at the statement as no nonsense Alexa promptly moved them along to the last in line; a young, waifish man with shoulder length curls. The man looked at Miles through the hair falling into his eyes, appearing a bit shy as he held out his hand. Miles almost cringed from how overly eager he was to take it into his own. “And this is Alex Turner, your secretary. He's new as well.”  
  
Miles gave his first real smile of the day, and the one Alex gave him back almost knocked the breath right out of the him. Oh, he was so fucked.  
  
“Hello, Miles. Shit, I mean Sir! I can't believe I just said that, and now I've gone and said shit- twice now! I'm so sorry, Sir; forgive me.” Alex said, his cheeks pink with embarrassment.  
  
Miles desperately wanted to pinch them and gush over how utterly adorable he was, though he knew that wasn't exactly proper behavior. Instead, he tried to ease the man's nerves by joking around with him.  
  
“It's alright, don't worry! Now, if you had gone and said 'fuck', then you'd really be in trouble.” Alex grinned as everyone around them chuckled.  
  
“Thank you so much, Sir. You know, I've had this awful feeling that I was somehow gonna fuck up on my first day!” he exclaimed, though his eyes quickly widened in horror as he realized what he had just said. “Oh, bloody hell...”  
  
Miles burst out laughing, shaking his head out of pure fondness for the boy in front of him as he shrugged it off. “It's, erm, really nice to meet you, Alex.”  
  
Alex pushed strands of hair back behind his ear, his dark brown eyes meeting Miles' hazel ones as he nodded. “Likewise, Sir.”  
  
Miles gave him a final smile before being led away by Alexa, though he could still hear the breath Alex blew out as he turned to Bridget. “God, I made such a fool of myself; I can't believe I swore like that in front of him!” though the housekeeper was quick to comfort him. Miles turned to look back at the man from over his shoulder, and he almost groaned from the way just seeing him made his heart skip a beat.  
  
_'Oh, Christ; how fucking inconvenient.' _  
  
-  
  
He spent the next couple of weeks trying his damnedest to not make himself look like a complete ass anytime he and Alex interacted, though he somehow always managed to fail miserably. He didn't know what it was about the other man, but he was always rendered tongue tied and unable to be even remotely cool, not that he ever really was in the first place. Alex seemed to enjoy it, for whatever reason, and he hoped that would continue. He knew he shouldn't be trying to get involved with someone who worked for him-and who was also significantly younger- but he couldn't seem to help himself. He was smitten, and he wanted to bang his head against the wall for it.  
  
-  
  
Three Weeks until Christmas  
  
He found himself a little bored at the current cabinet meeting being held to discuss the upcoming visit of the president of the United States, though still listened in to what everyone around him had to say.  
  
“We can't let him push us around like this, we as a country need to take a stand!” someone shouted, causing everyone else to chatter loudly in agreement. Miles knew he needed to cut in before things got too heated.  
  
“I hear you, I do; but I don't think now is the time to try and change things. We already have policies in place...”  
  
“They're very bad policies, with all due respect.”  
  
Miles sighed, rubbing his chin as he nodded his head. “I understand, I just don't feel like this is exactly the time to be doing this. The President can be very volatile and I'd hate to set him off without anything concrete yet... Christ, who do you have to shag to get a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit around here?!” he suddenly said, making everyone around him burst out into laughter. As if on cue, Alex suddenly appeared with a little trolley cart holding tea and various kinds of biscuits and scones. He smiled brightly when the two of them made eye contact, and Miles bit his lip as he looked away and down at the table.  
  
“Right... Of course.” he muttered, more to himself rather than anyone else.  
  
-  
  
Miles was going through some papers on his desk later that afternoon when Alex quietly entered the room; bringing him another cup of tea and a plate of Miles' beloved chocolate biscuits. He hadn't asked for them, but he was just starting to think about how he wanted a few. He tried not to let the fact that Alex just seemed to know get him too worked up.  
  
“Thank you, Alex.” he said, wanting to say more but thinking better of it. The other man smiled sweetly, brushing the hair out of his face as he stood in front of the Prime Minister's desk.  
  
“You're welcome, Sir. I'm just glad you're here now, everyone else always wants boring biscuits; you're the only person who wants the chocolate ones.”  
  
Miles laughed, smiling up at the other man before taking a sip of his tea. “Well, they're my favorites. I probably should lay off them a bit, but I've got a sweet tooth and can't resist.”  
  
Alex giggled at the remark, which was probably the sweetest sound Miles had ever heard in his life. He quickly crammed some biscuit into his mouth to try and stop himself from saying something absurd.  
  
“I'll remember that for when I'm writing my memoirs about being your secretary.” Alex teased, and Miles quickly swallowed the food in his mouth so he could laugh.  
  
“You gonna spill all my dirty secrets, eh?” he asked; butterflies forming in the pit of his stomach from the way Alex looked at him through his lashes.  
  
“Maybe... Depends on how dirty they really are.” he countered, and Miles choked on his drink before going into a coughing fit. Alex seemed to be enjoying this reaction, a small smirk playing on his lips as he waited for Miles to once again settle down.  
  
“Right... Well, erm... You know, I feel awkward working with you all the time and not knowing anything about you.”  
  
Alex licked his lips, and he appeared to be in thought as he nodded his head, making his curls fall into his face. He brushed them away before asking, “What do you want to know?”  
  
“Well, where are you from, for starters.”  
  
“Er.. Well currently I live in Wandsworth, on the dodgy side... But I was born in Sheffield and spent most of my life there. My family moved when I was in my last year of secondary school.”  
  
Miles nodded his head and held back the urge to ask exactly how long it's been since Alex was in secondary school. Instead he decided on an equally embarrassing question. “So, you live there with your wife, husband, girlfriend.... Super macho biker boyfriend?”  
  
Alex laughed, shaking his head as he cleared his throat. “Nah, I've actually just recently split up with my ex-boyfriend... He cheated on me, a couple different times... I guess he wasn't really a nice guy, in the end. So, I'm back home with my mum and dad.”  
  
Miles folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head as he glanced down towards the phone. “Ah, I see. Well, you know, since I am the Prime Minister, I could just have him murdered.”  
  
Alex laughed again, his cheeks shining. “Thank you, Sir. I'll think about it.”  
“Please do. Trained ruthless killers are only a phone call away.”  
  
Alex snickered, biting his lip as he started walking back towards the door. He turned around to give Miles one final smile before slowly slipping out of the room.  
  
Miles groaned as he dropped his head onto his desk, knowing he was starting to get in way over his head.  
  
-  
  
The next day is when Miles finally got to meet the President of the United States. He was a tall, well built man, and he towered over Miles as they greeted each other for the first time. Saying he was intimidated was an understatement, he could see why this man almost always got his way. Everyone probably thought they'd wind up dead in a gutter if they didn't. “Pleasure to meet you, President Homme.”  
  
Mr. Homme smiled placidly, turning towards the cameras surrounding them. He nodded and waved, leaving Miles to shut his mouth and follow example.  
  
The entire day was a long winded one filled with fruitless negotiations between him and the president. He didn't like the way he acted as though he ran the show, and he especially hated the way he eyed Alex whenever he came in offering refreshments. He knew none of those things were grounds for kicking him out, particularly the latter, but he sure as hell wanted to. He slumped back in his chair as he looked over towards the president, who was already smiling back at him.  
  
“It's not that I'm greedy, Kane. I'm more than happy to give people things; unless it's something I don't want to give. I have ways set and I don't intend to change them, especially with the plans I have in the works.”  
  
Miles sighed, nodding slowly as he suddenly jumped out of his chair. “Well, there's just one more thing I would love to go over with you that's near and dear to my heart, if you'll excuse me for a moment.” With that, he bolted out of the room and directly into Alex, who was bringing the two of them something to snack on.  
  
“Oh, I'm so sorry, Sir! I hope I didn't hurt you!” Alex cried, racing over to try and inspect the Prime Minister for any damage. Miles quickly brushed him off and smiled at the other man.  
  
“It's alright, accidents happen. No harm done, love.” he said, the pet name slipping from his mouth before he could even realize it. He snapped his mouth shut and hoped to whoever that Alex would take it as a casual thing. He couldn't tell what was going through Alex's mind, though the look he was giving Miles made his knees feel weak. He had a feeling maybe Alex was hoping the name was more of an endearment than Miles personally wanted him to know.  
  
Before he could say anything else, he darted away and into his office, grabbing a folder as he blew out his breath. He flipped through the pages inside of it, shaking his head as he muttered to himself about what a git he was. He probably shouldn't have to spend so much time reminding himself not to flirt with the secretary, yet here he was. He rubbed his temple as he walked back towards the meeting room, preparing himself for the worst from the president.  
  
The door was left slightly ajar, and he could hear someone talking softly on the other side. Miles assumed it was simply Alex offering up more treats, and so pushed the door open and stepped inside. He looked up and was shocked to find the president standing up, his hand in Alex's hair as he bent down to murmur in Alex's ear. Miles stopped dead in his tracks, watching on as he tried to contain the sudden wave of jealousy he felt, though it was quickly replaced with hurt.  
  
The President looked up at Miles then, smiling smugly as he stepped away from the younger man. Alex glanced over as well, though Miles noted that he appeared uncomfortable. His eyes were wide and pleading, as if he was using them to beg for Miles' forgiveness. He quickly muttered a goodbye to President Homme as he moved away towards the Prime Minister.  
  
“I'm so sorry, Sir.” he whispered, and Miles could see that his eyes were watering. He vanished from the room before Miles was able to respond, and so he turned towards the President, who did nothing more than shrug. Alexa suddenly walked into the room, announcing that the press was ready for their conference, and with that, the two men walked in silence towards the designated area.  
  
Miles got behind his podium, the President following suit. He gestured towards a man in the crowd, wanting nothing more than to get this over with and crawl into bed.  
  
“Mr. President, how was your visit?”  
  
President Homme glanced over at Miles before replying, “Very satisfactory. We got what we came for, and our relationship is still very special.”  
  
A wave of people began calling out, all eager to be called on for the next question, though Miles decided to speak before anyone could.  
  
“That's an interesting word, you know. Relationship; it could mean so many things... I think that this is in fact a bad relationship, where the President takes whatever he wants whilst ignoring what's important to us.” he started, glancing out into the crowd and catching Alex's eye. He was standing in the back of the room, wringing his hands together as he listened to what Miles had to say. He paused for a second as he stared, though quickly looked away and continued.  
  
“We may be a small country, but we're a great one too. Home of Shakespeare, Churchill, The Beatles... Harry Potter. And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend to us. Since bullies only respond to strength, here I am informing you all that I intend to be much stronger moving forward... And the President should be prepared for that.”  
  
The press jumped out of their chairs, all shouting as cameras began to flash from all corners. Miles looked over at President Homme, feeling satisfied with the outcome this day turned out to have.  
  
-  
  
The next morning, Miles sat in his office chair as he listened to the radio, tapping his fingers to the beat as he read the paper. His outburst from yesterday had gotten a positive response, and he was glad he had done it, even if maybe it was triggered by something slightly inappropriate. He sighed, folding the paper in half as he heard a knock on his door. He invited them in, leaning over to shut the radio off as Alexa stepped inside.  
  
“Congratulations, Mr. Prime Minister. Thank you for standing up for us.” She said, smiling warmly as Miles clasped his hands together.  
  
“Yes, well... It needed to be done.” he replied, unsure what else to say. He didn't feel like a hero, and didn't know how to respond to everyone treating him like one. Though, this was definitely better than what would inevitably happen if he fucked up.  
  
Alexa turned to walk out of the room, business as usual. Miles stopped her before she could slip out completely.  
  
“Erm, Alexa.... You know Alex?”  
  
“Yes, of course. He's ill today, we can find someone else to assist you.” she said, and Miles quickly shook his head.  
  
“No, no, that's not... I was just wondering if we could possibly... Redistribute him.” Miles blurted out, and he swore he could feel himself breaking his own heart. He just knew it wasn't a good idea to have Alex working for him when he felt this way. It would only lead to trouble, and that was something he didn't want any part of. It was better to cut ties now before it got too deep, or at least that's what he kept telling himself.  
  
Alexa looked a bit surprised by the request, though she soon regained her composure. “Absolutely, Sir. Consider it done.” With that, she briskly walked out of the room, leaving Miles to wallow in his misery by himself. And he didn't even have a chocolate biscuit to help ease the pain.  
  
-  
  
One week until Christmas  
  
Miles didn't realize how much he was going to miss Alex until he was gone. The new secretary worked just fine, and she was perfectly nice, but she was nothing like Alex was. She didn't make jokes, never slipped up and cursed, and she didn't look at him as though what he was feeling was really all that crazy. Not that Miles would ever want her to, there was only one person he wanted to make the eyes at him.  
  
He turned on the television and watched some washed up rock star on a talk show, trying to promote his big comeback with a Christmas single. He leaned back in his chair, his arms folded over his chest as his mind wandered elsewhere. Well, wandered to someone else, as always. He jumped as someone knocked on the door, and he called them inside as he shut the television off again.  
  
It was only Bridget, delivering a pile of Christmas cards to him. She dropped them on the table in front of him and swiftly left the room, leaving Miles to sift through the ungodly amount of them alone. He took a sip of his drink as he picked the first on the pile up, opening up to see a generic printed greeting with his name written at the top. He tossed it to the side and grabbed the next one, though soon discarded that one as well when he saw it was nearly the same thing. He almost wanted to just toss them all in the garbage bin, figuring that every single one would be just like the last. He knew that wouldn't be polite, and so he glanced at the next one featuring what seemed to be two snowmen holding hands. He flipped the card open, and was surprised to see what was inside.  
  
_Dear Sir,  
Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!  
I'm so sorry about what happened. I swear nothing went on, but it was all just very odd, and I feel like a prize idiot.  
Especially because, (If you can't say it on Christmas, when can you, eh?)  
Well, I'm actually yours.  
With love,  
xxx Your Alex _  
  
Miles was in disbelief, shutting the card hastily and looking up ahead as he tried to process it. He couldn't get the last line out of his head, and so he soon turned it back open and stared down at it.  
  
'Your Alex.'  
  
His.  
  
Alex felt the same way.  
  
Miles soon dropped the card down onto the table as he snatched up the telephone beside him, punching in the numbers for his head of security. “Matt? Yeah, I need a car straightaway. Thanks.” he barked, hoping he didn't sound too mean as he scrambled to get up. He actually felt happier than he ever had in his life. He ran out of the room and down the hall so that he could grab his coat before bounding down the stairs and out the door. His car along with a police escort was already waiting for him once he got outside, and he wasted no time climbing in. “I need to go to Wandsworth... The dodgy part of it.”  
  
His driver nodded at him in the rear view mirror as he shifted the car into drive. “Very good, Sir.”  
  
-  
  
Miles spent the entire drive trying to prepare some type of speech to give, something that would make Alex realize just how special he was to him. He knew it hadn't been long since they met, but he could honestly say that he had never felt this way about anyone else. He just wasn't exactly sure how to articulate that. He sighed and leaned his head against the window; hoping that the words would come to him in the moment.  
  
His driver pulled off to the side, looking back at Miles as he said, “Here we are, Sir. Which house is it?”  
  
Miles took a look, his eyes widening as he realized just how massive the road was. “Oh, bloody hell, it's the longest street in the world, and I've no fuckin' clue where he is...” he trailed off, sighing as he unbuckled his belt. “I guess I'll just go door to door.”  
  
His driver gave him an odd look, though quickly cut the engine off and jumped out of the car with him. The pair walked up to the first house, ringing the doorbell as they waited for someone to answer.  
  
An elderly woman soon opened the door, squinting her eyes as she stared at the men in front of her. Miles cleared his throat, giving a little wave and smiling as he asked, “Hello, ma'am. Does, uh, does Alex live here?”  
  
“No... I'm afraid not. Are you the Prime Minister?” she asked incredulously.  
  
Miles nodded his head as he began to step away. “Indeed; I'm just trying to make my rounds to everyone in Britain before New Year's. Have a good night; and a Merry Christmas.”  
  
The woman gave him an odd look, though soon bid him a farewell before shutting her door.  
  
Miles groaned as he trudged through the snow and over to the next house. This time a group of small children answered, to which Miles raised his eyebrows. He cleared his throat as they all stared up at him, waiting for him to speak. “Erm... Hello there. Does Alex live here, by chance?”  
  
The eldest looking girl shook her head. “No he doesn't. Are you here to sing carols?” she asked as they looked at him expectantly.  
  
Miles hesitated for a second, looking back at his driver before turning back towards the children. “Oh... Well... I mean, I suppose I could...”  
  
“Please, Sir!” the children chanted, giving him puppy dog eyes as they begged him to sing.  
  
Miles sighed softly as he looked to the ground and tried to think of what to sing. “Uhm... We wish you a merry Christmas; we wish you a merry Christmas....” he sang, watching as the group of children began to jump and dance along to his words. He finished out the song, and the children gave him a round of applause for his efforts. Miles began wondering where in the hell their parents were, though he managed to slip away after the first song. He chuckled to himself as he walked down to the third house, crossing his fingers that this would be it. He rang the bell, and the door opened to a young woman. Her eyes almost bulged out of her head as she realized who he was. Miles chose to ignore it, instead asking the same question he had been.  
  
“Hello there, does Alex live here?”  
  
The woman shook her head, still seemingly disbelieving as she pointed to the next house over. “No, but he lives there... You're not who I think you are, are you?”  
  
Miles grimaced as he began to backtrack down the stairs. “I'm afraid I am, sorry for disturbing you, my cabinet is shit; I'll have to do better next year. Merry Christmas.” he replied as he began walking away, receiving a strange look from the woman before she closed her door. He stopped on the sidewalk as he stared at the next house, his heart hammering in his chest as he slowly approached the door. He took a deep breath as he rang the bell; bouncing on the heels of his feet in a fit of nerves. The door opened a few seconds later, and he was greeted by a small crowd of adults and children. He gaped at all of them for a moment before shaking his head.  
  
“Uhm... Is Alex here, by chance?” he asked. An older man opened his mouth to reply, though was cut off by a familiar voice from the top of the stairs.  
  
“Where the fuck is my fucking coat?!” Alex shouted as he began walking down, though stopped in his tracks when he noticed Miles standing in the doorway. “Oh... Hello, Sir. Um, this is my mum, my dad, and my auntie and uncle and my cousins.” he said, pointing to the various people in the room as he spoke.  
  
Miles stared up at him, his eyebrows raised and mouth slightly agape. He couldn't think of a more appropriate way for Alex to announce his presence. “Hello, Alex; and uh, it's a pleasure to meet you all.”  
  
Alex twirled a lock of hair around his index finger, chewing his lip thoughtfully before remembering to introduce Miles, “Oh, and eh, this is the Prime Minister.”  
  
Alex's mother was quick to respond, laughing as she said, “Well, we can see that, darling.”  
  
“Unfortunately, we're rather late.” Alex added, wringing his hands together as he gazed down at Miles.  
  
“It's the annual school Christmas concert you see, Miles. And it's even the first one where all the local schools have joined together! Why, I reckon even-” Alex's mom began, though was cut off by Alex.  
  
“Mum! Too much detail!” he said, looking a bit embarrassed by his mother's rambling.  
His father was quick to jump in, smiling at Miles as he said, “Well, anyway, how can we help you, Sir?”  
  
Miles tore his eyes away from Alex, giving a small smile as he replied, “Ah, well.. I was just needing Alex... So that we could speak momentarily about some er... State business.”  
  
Everyone was silent for a few seconds, though Alex's father briefly looked up at him before turning back to Miles. “Oh.. Well, of course. Perhaps you should come along later, Aly.” he said, which earned him an elbow in the ribs from Alex's mother.  
  
“I don't want to make you late for your concert.” Miles said, feeling guilty as Alex quickly shook his head.  
  
“No, no, it's fine, really.” he said, though his mother made a disapproving face as she chimed in.  
  
“The kids will be so disappointed...”  
  
Alex rolled his eyes; raising his voice as he grabbed onto the stair railing. “No, really mum, it doesn't matter!” This however didn't stop Alex's mom, who continued her guilt trip to Miles.  
  
“The octopus costume has taken me months to make! And those really are a lot of legs, Miles...”  
  
The Prime Minister nodded his head in agreement, smiling at the group before suggesting, “Well, how about I drive you there? Alex and I can talk in the car, no problem.”  
  
Alex grinned, the mere sight of it making Miles' heart melt. “Okay... Perfect.”  
  
“Lovely!” everyone else agreed, all saying their thank yous in unison as Miles began leading them towards his cars.  
  
-  
  
Miles looked out the window for a moment, his mind going into overdrive as he tried to think of what to say. He quickly glanced down at the other man's cousin, sat between them in his octopus costume. He met Alex's gaze as he looked up, and the two of them smiled at each other, both clearly nervous. Miles was the first to speak, though he didn't say anything close to what he had wanted to. “So, um... Where is this place?”  
  
“Just around the corner.” Alex replied, his eyes wide and curious as he patiently waited for Miles to go on.  
  
“Ah, well. Erm... I just wanted to say...” he started, trailing off as he shifted in his seat. “Just, um. Thank you. For the Christmas card.”  
  
Alex beamed, his cheeks turning a light pink as he softly giggled. “You're welcome... Look, I just want you to know how sorry I am about that day.” he said, his brows furrowing as he pushed back the hair in his eyes, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “He just came towards me when I offered him some tea, and I mean he's the bloody president of the United States! I couldn't be an arse to him! But I promise you, nothing happened! Nothing at all. I swear. And I just feel like a complete fool because... Well; because I think about you all the time, actually. And I think you're the man that I really-”  
  
“We're here!” Alex's cousin shouted, the car coming to a halt as the child sat up.  
  
“Wow, that uh, really was just 'round the corner, eh?” Miles said, reaching over to open up the door for the small boy. He began climbing over Miles, though his costume made it difficult for him to even move. Miles struggled to push the boy out, getting paper mache tentacles right in his face during the process. He heard Alex laughing quietly on the opposite side of the car, clearly amused by the scene in front of him. With a bit of effort, Miles finally managed to get the child out, taking a deep breath as he was left alone with Alex.  
  
The two men stared at each other for a moment, the longing in their eyes obvious as Miles finally broke the silence. “Well, I think I better not come in... I don't want the kids having their show stolen from them by some sleazy politician.”  
  
Alex looked absolutely shattered by the statement, shaking his head as he murmured, “No, please come. It'll be lovely; really.”  
  
Miles looked down at his hands, taking a deep breath as he sadly replied, “No, I really shouldn't... But, I will be... Very, very sorry to drive away from you.”  
  
“No, come on in... We can watch from backstage! This was my school for my last year, I know my way around!” Alex exclaimed, his face brightening as he reached out for Miles' wrist.  
  
Miles was still a bit hesitant, though he knew he couldn't stand to disappoint the other man. He smiled slowly, biting his lip as he nodded. “Alright... Yeah, why not?”  
  
Alex grinned when he heard that, flinging his door open so that he could exit the car; dragging Miles along behind him. “Come on, I know a shortcut.”  
  
And with that, Miles allowed himself to be led away by the gorgeous man in front of him; feeling nothing but absolute bliss.  
  
-  
  
The concert was something to behold, all the various children singing off key in their wildly odd costumes. Still, he was loving every minute of it. Well, mainly he was loving being in such close proximity to Alex, who was standing in front of him, his back pressed against Miles' front. He could smell a faint scent of coconut in the other man's hair, and he tried to resist the urge to lay his head on top of Alex's. Besides, if he did that, he wouldn't get the pleasure of seeing Alex turn to look at him occasionally, a sweet, shy smile spread across his face.  
  
The school music director announced the next and final act was to be a young girl singing a rendition of All I Want For Christmas Is You, along with her peers playing instruments. Miles peered out a little further from behind the curtain, causing himself to get a bit closer to the other man. He could've been wrong, but he swore he felt Alex lean into it. Chimes suddenly began to play, followed by a soft drum roll and a young girl's voice.  
  
_'I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need...' _  
  
Alex smiled, his face in awe as he turned to Miles and whispered, “She's good, wow.”  
  
Miles hummed in agreement, his nose brushing against Alex's hair as he nodded. Alex looked back towards the girl as she sang, while Miles tried to keep his composure. The audience seemed to be as wowed as Alex was, and though he was also impressed, he couldn't bring himself to focus on anything else but him. He didn't even notice when the band kicked in, his eyes glued to Alex so that he didn't miss any of his reactions to the show.  
  
He snapped out of it as he felt Alex tense up, his head jerking towards the right before quickly snatching up Miles' hand and leading him away. Miles turned to see why, and noticed someone passing through where they were just standing. He smiled and let Alex relocate them, though this time they stood face to face once they stopped. They laughed softly, and Miles felt his heart pounding in his chest from the way Alex stared up at him, a bit dreamily if you asked Miles.  
  
_'I don't want a lot this Christmas; this is all I'm asking for...' _  
  
Miles bit his lip as he reached out to brush back Alex's hair, his hand getting tangled within his soft curls. He left it there, gently twisting strands around his fingers. Alex licked his lips slowly, his hands sliding up Miles' chest as his gaze dropped down to the Prime Minister's lips.  
  
_'Oh, I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know...' _  
  
Alex tilted his head up, his lips slightly puckered as he began leaning in. Miles snaked his hand to the back of Alex's head, pushing his face in closer as he watched the other man's eyes flutter shut.  
  
_'Baby; all I want for Christmas is...' _  
  
Miles' nose brushed against Alex's as their lips finally touched, both of them smiling into the kiss. Alex hummed as well, his arms wrapping around the other's neck as Miles' hands slid underneath his denim jacket. Miles nipped at Alex's bottom lip, earning himself a soft laugh as Alex parted his lips eagerly. Alex's hands wandered upwards, so that he was cupping Miles' jaw, while Miles couldn't help but pull Alex as close as he possibly could. The gesture made Alex moan quietly, and before Miles knew it, the kiss had turned rather heated and passionate.  
  
It soon registered to Miles that it was eerily quiet, and so he cracked open an eye to try and see what could be going on. He was met with everyone in the auditorium staring at him and Alex kissing, their eyes wide. Miles pulled away from the other man, staring out into the crowd as he felt Alex stiffen in his arms.  
  
“Right... Well, not as secret as I had hoped...” Miles said, turning to look at Alex smiling nervously with red, swollen lips.  
  
“What do we do now?” he asked, glancing over at Miles before looking back at everyone in front of them.  
  
Miles pulled Alex in by his waist, plastering a fake smile on his face as he whispered, “Just smile. Wave, act like we were meant to be caught.”  
  
The two men waved awkwardly, both taking little bows as the crowd began to hoot and cheer. Alex burst out laughing, much to Miles' relief. He grabbed Miles by the hand as he did one last wave, his smile so wide that it created small wrinkles around the corners of his eyes. He began to lead them away, squeezing Miles' hand as he giggled to himself.  
  
Miles couldn't have been more hopelessly in love if he tried.  
  
-  
  
One month later  
  
Miles couldn't wait to get through the airport, his trip across Europe taking a toll on him. He was beyond happy to be home, especially since he would finally see a certain boy he had been missing terribly while he was gone. He smiled to himself as he walked to the luggage claim, his stomach twisting into knots as he thought of what to say. Should he play it cool? Or should he just be honest and admit how difficult it was to be away from Alex? Maybe tell him how he thought of the other man all the time? He sighed, making Matt throw him a questioning glance.  
  
It felt odd having other people carry his luggage, though he wasn't going to complain. It was definitely something he was going to have to get used to, however. He trailed along behind Matt as they approached the gates, and he could see a swarm of people standing around, most likely waiting for him. He smoothed out the front of his coat, running his fingers through his hair as they got closer. Someone noticed him, and suddenly he heard numerous people shouting as camera flashes went off.  
  
He waved to the crowd, slowing down so that everyone could get their pictures. He didn't particularly like it, he didn't know what was so exciting about him getting off of an airplane, but he still indulged them anyway. He heard the crowd get louder as he noticed something coming towards him out of the corner of his eye, causing Matt to suddenly step aside. He turned his head, seeing Alex pushing his way through the paparazzi and towards Miles.  
  
Miles grinned widely, stepping forward as Alex ran up to him. He was surprised yet beyond delighted when Alex jumped into his arms, wrapping his legs around Miles' waist as he pressed their lips together. He held the other man tightly as Alex pushed his hands into Miles' hair. He felt like they were in their own little world, the mass amounts of people around them non existent.  
  
Alex beamed at Miles once their lips parted, his eyes shining as he carded his fingers through strands of Miles' hair. “Do I know you, Sir?” Miles asked, winking as Alex rolled his eyes playfully.  
  
“Oh, shut your face.” Alex retorted, never losing his smile as Miles gently set him down and wrapped an arm around his waist.  
  
“I missed you, love.” Miles whispered, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Alex's temple as they began walking through the terminal.  
  
Alex nuzzled against Miles' neck, and the Prime Minister could feel him smiling against his skin. He could bet that he was blushing, too.  
  
“Missed you more.” he mumbled, and Miles wasn't one to argue, he'd always let Alex have his way.  
  
Miles sighed happily, pulling Alex in a bit closer as he hummed along to the song playing over the intercom.  
  
_'God only knows what I'd be without you; God only knows...' _________________


End file.
